# Things having a smart phone has greatly improved **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757 "2014-02-07T15:13:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/21 "2014-02-09T13:28:26Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Taking shits. There’s an app for that?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/22 "2014-02-09T16:51:13Z")
I love me my Android, but I haven’t let it replace my Garmin GPS, although technically it could. I’m just more comfortable with the way the Garmin works. But it is nice to have the Google Maps option in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/23 "2014-02-09T17:18:43Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Driving long straight aways where you only need to look at the road periodically. Smart phones have [greatly improved the odds](http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-devices/smartphones-tied-to-25--of-us-car-crashes/d/d-id/1098800?) of being plowed into by a distracted driver who is playing with their damn phone like they’re not in charge of a 2 or more ton vehicle capable of killing people. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/24 "2014-02-09T18:26:18Z")
I find it really improves the communication between me and my husband on “business” issues. If I think of a thing I need to ask or tell him I can text him right then and he can get back to me when it’s convenient, which is far better than the previous system, where I meant to ask or tell him and forgot. Also I can, at that very moment, put things on our shared calendar. We have far fewer “oh I forgot to tell you about that thing” moments. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/25 "2014-02-09T18:32:09Z")
Nothing. Still don’t have a smartphone, still don’t regret it. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/26 "2014-02-09T20:12:06Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Waiting at Red lights. > > Driving long straight aways where you only need to look at the road periodically. > > . …please stop doing this. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/27 "2014-02-09T21:12:33Z")
In general, being a very powerful communications and info device that can be hooked into the real world in some amazing ways. I just discovered that, in place of things like my old, clunky, non-updatable OBD-II car status reader, I can buy a $25 module that will link the OBD/CAN port with my Android phone, giving me the most powerful and comprehensive car monitoring and tuning tool I could have dreamed of. Oh… and it’s a Bluetooth link, no cables, no batteries. I have run across similar tools - instead of a heavy, expensive, fragile, limited-value item, a small, relatively cheap “box” does all the work and uses a phone for a readout and control panel. Each one of these uses might appeal only to a small population, but collectively it’s a great breakthough. (The Android app is Torque, available in Lite (free) and Pro (pay); there are many modules but the recommended one and best-rated is [here](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/28 "2014-02-09T21:32:53Z")
Obviously smart phones have improved a lot of things requiring either online information access or simply mobile computing. However, I suspect the posts here are not representative of society on the whole. The vast majority of people I notice using their smart phones are just texting, playing games, or otherwise just dicking around killing/wasting time. With the exception of social networking sites like Facebook, most of this was possible before we had smart phones. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/29 "2014-02-10T00:33:01Z")
Voxer. Using your phone like a walkie-talkie with almost all my family and business cohorts has changed my life. More obviously, driving. GPS and turn-by-turn directions wherever and whenever with whomever? It’s a whole new world, I don’t even have to give people directions anymore. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/30 "2014-02-10T00:42:47Z")
Just how rude people can be when you are socializing. Accidentally calling people when you didn’t mean to. But seriously, they’re great for finding places, looking things up, sending pictures, fighting boredom, ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/31 "2014-02-10T01:13:53Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > There’s an app for that?:eek: Yup! [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sitorsquat-restroom-finder/id511855507?mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sitorsquat-restroom-finder/id511855507?mt=8) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/32 "2014-02-10T02:32:35Z")
Traffic on Google maps lets me predict how long it will take to get home from work, and go another way if needed. Voice recognition on my new S4 is faster then typing for texts - and usually more accurate. And GPS and checking email. When I checked into my hotel last week I forgot to get the wifi password, but I could check my mail just fine with 4G. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/33 "2014-02-10T06:30:24Z")
> [@CatherineZeta](#): > > I visited a friend recently who would check her phone at every intersection. People must honk at her a lot when she’s driving alone because I had to keep saying, “Green light!” You could make a million if you write an app to alert people to the light turning green. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/34 "2014-02-10T07:27:01Z")
Sure they can help you when you’re lost, and you can read books on them or listen to music when you are otherwise bored, and you have access to the entire collected knowledge of mankind almost instantaneously but other than that what use are they? I think they are just a fad. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/35 "2014-02-10T16:29:31Z")
I really don’t get the concept of doing something else while in the can. It’s just go in, do your business, clean up and leave. Who has time to take out a phone, unlock it, start an app, use the app for any useful period of time before it’s time to flush? I just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/36 "2014-02-10T16:45:38Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I really don’t get the concept of doing something else while in the can. > > It’s just go in, do your business, clean up and leave. > > Who has time to take out a phone, unlock it, start an app, use the app for any useful period of time before it’s time to flush? > > I just don’t get it. Do you not read on the crapper either? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/37 "2014-02-10T16:46:04Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I really don’t get the concept of doing something else while in the can. > > It’s just go in, do your business, clean up and leave. > > Who has time to take out a phone, unlock it, start an app, use the app for any useful period of time before it’s time to flush? > > I just don’t get it. It’s just different for some of us. We shit out a turd or two, but then have a wait some minutes before the next ones are ready to come out. They are simply not available to push out yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/38 "2014-02-10T17:38:55Z")
Boredom-reliever is the biggest one - I’m never without a game to play or a book to read. Travel is huge as well. Not sure how far we’ll be driving today, we’re driving 6 hours along I-95 and whether that’s 10 miles or 300 is anyone’s guess :D. So no need to book a hotel until we know where we’ll be when we need to stop. And just how bad IS that traffic jam, and is it worth exiting the highway? and if we don’t, where is the next bathroom cuz I gotta pee NOW. More utilitarian stuff that is made easier (but I managed just fine before): did I take my meds this morning? when did I start taking this one prescription? how much sleep did I have? How much gasoline have I bought lately? what’s the weather supposed to be like today? and when is the %&3% Metro train gonna get here? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/39 "2014-02-10T18:32:09Z")
Saving money. Just last week I was in a major electronics store to get a bday present for my wife. The particular item was in the sale paper for $89, down from regular $129. When I got to the store the shelf tag said $99. When I questioned an employee about the ad price he stated “Oh, must have been an error. It rings up at $99”. After a few taps on my smartphone I showed him the screen and said “I’m on your website. I have that item in my cart, with the “pick up in store” button pushed, at $79. Are you going to ring it up for that or should I just push the “buy now” button?”. He rang it up for $79. Using the smartphone saved me $10 on even the advertised price. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757/40 "2014-02-10T19:04:54Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I really don’t get the concept of doing something else while in the can. > > It’s just go in, do your business, clean up and leave. > > Who has time to take out a phone, unlock it, start an app, use the app for any useful period of time before it’s time to flush? > > I just don’t get it. Some people find their pipes work better when their mind is occupied elsewhere. Hence People Magazine, and smart phone games. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-having-a-smart-phone-has-greatly-improved/680757.md?page=3)